


The Gay and Magical Life of Layla Mourelle

by littlebluewhalen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Harry Potter - Freeform, Hogwarts Mystery - Freeform, Hufflepuff, Magic, a self-indulgent fic, is there even a fandom for this, jk rowling pay me, probably going to be canon divergent, the game but with better writing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-20 19:33:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21062015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlebluewhalen/pseuds/littlebluewhalen
Summary: Layla Mourelle is an eleven year old muggle-born witch, off to her first year at Hogwarts. Between trying to learn as much magic she can, searching for her bother through the cursed vaults, and trying to make friends with a vindictive Slytherin, can she stay sane?Well, only one way to find out.





	The Gay and Magical Life of Layla Mourelle

**Author's Note:**

> I have been writing this since the mobile game first came out, going back and adding and revising for over a year. It leaves out a lot of the small, seemingly unimportant details about everyday Hogwarts life, but really, those details make it worth playing; the details are what absorb you into the world. I think the game has an interesting premise, so I took it upon myself to write out this story as I progress through the game, making it come to life. This has been a very long and very slow process, and it's nowhere near done, as I'm now in Year 2 in the game, lol.  
Anyway, if anyone out there even reads this, I hope you enjoy this journey. This fic is entirely self-indulgent and I'm using it to try different writing styles and see how good I can get.   
!

The house that sat upon 127 Morroway Drive was a quiet one. It was a small house, but shabby by no means; rather, a blanket of calm wrapped itself around the home, and love permeated the inside. However, no matter the feelings that dwelled inside, it was, indeed, a tiny house; it had a small living room decorated with a couch and an armchair around a small TV, adjoined to a kitchen which really only had space for a refrigerator, a stove, and a tiny bit of counter space. A small, chestnut-colored kitchen table was wedged into the room as well. There was a narrow hallway branching off of the living room and kitchen, with a bathroom on its right, a bedroom on its left, and an even smaller bedroom at its end. After the bathroom – which was rather cramped - sat a small set of stairs, which led up to an attic which was fashioned into another bedroom. Yes, the house sat, quite still, quite silent, tiny and unassuming, and unremarkable in its nature.

Light streamed through the window, dust gently sifting through the air, alighting the room in a warm morning glow. The room on the left of the hallway was unspectacular; there was a twin bed with the headboard against the wall under said window, with a black side table on its right side; on top of it sat an alarm clock, a pair of thick-rimmed, rectangular, black glasses and a journal. On the left side sat a desk, with books piled on top of it; math, English and basic sciences, along with a book about Quidditch and the Best Modern-Day Spells. A black chair was pushed under the desk. On the far wall sat an armchair, next to a bookshelf, stocked with fantasy and practical books. This chair was right next to the door. On the other side of the door was a black dresser. 

In the twin bed under the window lay a rather unspectacular girl as well. She had light brown hair, cut straight with bangs almost covering her right eye. She laid still, deep in an undisturbed slumber, the only movement in the room being the soft rising and falling of her chest and the settling of dust.  
Suddenly, her alarm clock rang a cheerful tune throughout her cozy room, ruining the tranquility of her sleep, and her form came to life. With a groan, the girl emerged from the blankets, sitting up and blearily rubbing her eyes. She glared at her alarm clock before shutting it off. The girl stretched, then got up and grabbed her glasses off of her nightstand before quietly padding out of the room in her t-shirt and worn pink plaid pajama pants.

“Oh, good morning, Layla,” her mom greeted her as her daughter walked into the kitchen, “I’ve made some eggs and bacon. Take a seat and I’ll grab your dad so we can eat together.” The woman said gently, before getting up from the table herself. Layla sat down with a plop and put her chin in her hand and stared across the room to living room. She sighed deeply, a lot weighing on her mind, more than should weigh on any 11-year-old.  
About two weeks ago, Layla Mourelle had gotten her Hogwart’s letter, inviting her into the Best Wizarding School in the World. While a deep-seated excitement rattled her core, dread and anguish sat on top of it and weighed her down. Her brother had been at Hogwarts himself just two years ago, after all; not that he finished it. 

He disappeared before he could.

Layla’s hazel eyes roved around the room and settled on the hallway. She couldn’t see it just now, but she was picturing his small bedroom at the end of the hallway. A million different thoughts and emotions were racing around her mind and she couldn’t cycle through them all fast enough.  
She couldn’t remember the last time her mother had made breakfast; she guessed it was before Teddy disappeared. Teddy was -is- her brother. He had gone to Hogwarts when he was 11, too, but two years ago, during his sixth year at Hogwarts, he had gone “insane” and disappeared. People thought he went insane because he always talked about something called the “Cursed Vaults” at Hogwarts – something that supposedly didn’t exist. He wasn’t the only one that believed that they existed, but he was the only one to be bold enough to actively chase after them. During his investigating, he started to only care about the Vaults; the only thing he cared for more was Layla and his parents. Some people had even gone so far as to instigate rumors in which he joined You-Know-Who’s forces, even though he was the kindest Hufflepuff you’d ever meet.

Every day, every single day, she missed him. He was her role model, her big brother, and she would never believe that he was crazy – she would sooner believe that everyone else was lying.  
Layla didn’t have many years with him; he disappeared when she was 9, but her earliest memories always involve him in the summers, when he wasn’t at Hogwarts. Her mother and father were so loving and they were a real family when Teddy was around. 

His disappearance shattered her mother. Her mother was Lucy Mourelle, a short woman around 5’1 with dirty blond hair down to the middle of her back, who loved to cook and spend every minute with her family. She liked to wear sweaters or t-shirts with jeans and was a trusting, laidback mom.   
Her father was Benjamin Mourelle. He was a tall, thin man with black-gray hair who loved to be outside, and said that nature was the magic of the Muggle world. He planned all of the family events and cherished his family immensely.   
Lucy and Benjamin were never magic. When Teddy got his Hogwarts letter, they thought it had been a prank, but with the ensuing letters, they learned it wasn’t. It was a nasty shock, but a huge delight. As Layla grew up, they hoped that she was a witch, because they had never seen anything so wonderful as magic.

But that was before Teddy disappeared. 

Lucy had gray hairs spreading throughout her cool blonde, and walked with her shoulders sagging, the weight of the world seemingly on her shoulders. She hardly slept. Benjamin wasn’t much better, either; his hair was now more gray than black, and he had gotten a bit wider around the middle, and hardly ever went outside anymore. Which leads Layla back to this moment…  
There was no family celebration, just a breakfast that wasn’t cereal or toast for once in the past two years since Teddy went missing. Not that her parents didn’t love her or care for her; it was just almost impossible to permeate this cloak of gloom that had made itself comfortable within their quaint home. 

Layla snapped out of her trance the moment that she heard chairs scraping the ground, and looked up to her parents, who she smiled at. It was so thin, almost a scam; they all felt the absence of Teddy especially today, because he should be there, celebrating with them. 

“Morning, chickie.” Her dad greeted warmly, ruffling her hair, and chuckling when she groaned. Her mom served the bacon and eggs, and everyone ate quietly. Her mom was the first to break the silence.

“So, honey… I know that, this year, you’re using…” Lucy trailed off at this moment, but shook her head and continued, “I know you’re using most of Teddy’s old spellbooks this year, which is a huge help. But I figured that we could go to Diagon Alley to get you some new things, like parchment and quills and such that you’ll need. Does that sound alright?” Her mom asked nervously. Layla’s eyes widened; she thought she was just going to use all of Teddy’s old things. 

“Yeah, sure, mom! That sounds… great, actually.” Layla responded, smiling genuinely as she said it. Her mom smiled back. 

“Now, Layla…” her father started, “I don’t want you to think that we’re not happy that you’re a witch, because we are – we just want you to be safe. Especially since You-Know-Who has disappeared, you shouldn’t be at risk – but please, just… be careful at Hogwarts, alright? We aren’t magic, so sometimes we don’t understand things about your world, and it scares us.” Her dad finished, eyes mistily trained on his daughter. At this, Layla got up and walked around the table to her dad, and gave him a hug around the shoulders. 

“Of course, dad.” She responded truthfully. 

“Alright, well, finish up everyone. We’ll get dressed and leave at once.” Her mother beamed.

/

Layla walked to her room and closed the door. She leaned against it and exhaled deeply. She wasn’t going to feel sad; she was going to have a great day with her parents, and she was going to ignore the giant weight that felt like an absent brother.   
Layla walked to her dresser and pulled out a pair of blue jean capris and a regular black t-shirt, then slipped into a pair of old trusty black converse. She walked to her mirror and brushed her hair, and without giving herself time to think, walked back into the hallway. She walked to the living room, and to distract herself, noticed dirty dishes in the sink. She walked over and rinsed and washed them, just to have something to do besides think about Teddy.  
Soon, her parents were in the living room with her, looking better and well-dressed than she had seen them in recent years. The three of them piled into the family car and off they went to Diagon Alley.

/

After parking and paying the parking meter, the three walked into The Leaky Cauldron, standing tall, and hoping they wouldn’t get noticed. In the year directly after Teddy went missing, almost everyone knew about it, and knew about the Mourelle family. The Mourelle that went insane – it was news in the Daily Prophet, and it riled up some of the pureblood-enthusiasts to use Teddy as an example of why Muggle-born witches and wizards shouldn’t be allowed in Hogwarts. Layla never really thought that was fair; her parents hadn’t resented magic nearly as much as they rightfully should have, so why should the old wizard families resent those from non-magic families? It was something Layla simply couldn’t wrap her mind around.

They passed through uneventfully and tapped the bricks leading into Diagon Alley, and soon enough, they were on the bustling paved street, surrounded by people in robes. This was the most people that the Mourelles had ever seen; when Teddy was in school and they came to Diagon Alley to get his supplies, it seemed as though only the people who absolutely needed something were out. It appeared that with the supposed “defeat” of You-Know-Who, more people felt safe enough to go out and enjoy life once again. 

“Okay, you lot! Let’s just go down the row, I suppose. First we need to exchange some money, and then we can start with Ollivander’s, since the wand really is the most important part, you know…” Layla’s mom rambled on before pushing her husband and daughter through the crowd with an iron grip, almost afraid to lose the two. Benjamin laughed at his wife’s behavior.

Soon enough, they had a purse full of Galleons and Sickles and Knuts, ready to buy whatever Layla needed, and were standing in Ollivander’s shop, waiting to get a wand. There was currently another Hogwarts student being fitted; the magical measuring tape was measuring seemingly non-useful parts of her body, to the girl’s chagrin. 

“Ugh, is this really necessary?” the girl asked forcefully, trying to shoo the measuring tape away as it tried to measure between her nostrils. The girl was a little taller than Layla and had a pixie haircut with dark brown hair and a streak of green in it. 

“Yes yes, Merula. Not to fret, I have a few for you to try already…” A man with wild silver hair uttered, high up on a ladder, with a stack of long, rectangular boxes in his left hand. He was muttering to himself about different types of wood and cores and other things that Layla didn’t quite get. 

“This is absurd.” Merula uttered, gritting her teeth together. 

“Maybe we should come back to Ollivander’s later, dear.” Benjamin suggested quietly to his wife. However, before they could step out of the shop, Ollivander had finished scrambling around for wands and had appeared at the desk and looked right at them.

“Hmm, back with another Mourelle, are we?” He asked in that croaky voice of his, “very well. Wait just a moment. I’ve almost finished up.” Ollivander said, then returned his attention to Merula. 

“Finished? We haven’t even started-” Merula yelled in frustration before Ollivander cut her off.

“Half of the work is already done, Ms. Snyde. Now, try this one.” He said, holding a long, spindly wand out to her. She bit back any retort and snatched it out of his hand at once. She waved it, and nothing happened. 

“Hmm, not quite.” Ollivander mumbled, handing her another wand. This one was a dark brown and was thicker. Merula too, waved this one, and it shot a force out of the tip that knocked books off of his shelf. She raised her eyes in question, but he was already rummaging around in his pile to find her another. 

“This one should do the trick.” Ollivander said, handing her a short, thin, light brown wand. This one was surprisingly straight and smooth. She waved it once and a golden light filled the air of the shop. Ollivander clapped his hands in delight and nodded. “That’s the one! How does it feel?” He asked. Merula nodded once, and walked to the counter, and pulled money out of her pocket. Ollivander raised his eyebrow.

“No parents today, Ms. Snyde?” He asked curiously, while packaging up her wand. She glared at the old man.

“Mind your business.” She said before forcefully putting the money on the counter and snatching the wand, and marching out. She glared at the Mourelles as she walked by, before putting her nose in the air and walking out of the shop.

“Well, she wasn’t very kind.” Benjamin commented after the door closed. Lucy frowned.

“She paid for that by herself, with no parents? I feel almost sorry for her.” Lucy said. Layla silently agreed.

“Come, Ms. Mourelle. I must take some measurements first.” Ollivander beckoned her to the center of her shop, and a wave of excitement overtook her and any other thoughts in her mind. She stepped eagerly to the center and held her arms out to allow the enchanted measuring tape to go wherever it pleased. She looked back at her parents and saw that they were leaning into each other, looking happier than she had seem them recently. This brightened her immediately; if her parents were happy, she was happy. She thought that maybe she might care too much about how other people feel, but she didn’t care.

“Hmm, aha! This may be perfect, but then again…” Ollivander was on his ladder, whirring about the back of his shop. His sentence took Layla out of her thoughts, and she focused on anything in the shop to ground herself. Once the measuring tape started measuring the length of her hair, an arm emerged behind a tall shelf of wands and snapped, and the measuring tape crumpled onto the ground. Ollivander swung back around with an armful of wand boxes and dismounted the ladder, almost gliding over to Layla, and deposited his boxes onto his counter. His took one out of the pile and disregarded the box, handing it gently to Layla, who was absentmindedly wondering how he appeared so graceful on that ladder. 

“Just give it a wave.” He instructed. She nodded, and swished her wand midair. It was a heavy, redwood wand, smooth and tapered at one end. As she swished, nothing happened. Layla looked to Ollivander, who wore a frown, and dove back into his pile of wands.

“Hmm, I thought it might be… no, no, of course not, the wand chooses the wizard, after all…” Ollivander muttered aloud. 

“What was that?” Layla asked, confused by his utterings. He shook his head delicately.

“That wand was the brother of your brother’s wand. Redwood, with unicorn hair in the middle, long and powerful indeed, but obviously not a fit…” He clarified slightly. Layla felt her throat tighten and she just nodded before looking away. Before she even had enough time to process his words, she felt him replace the redwood wand with another; a nice, honey-colored chestnut wand. Shorter and thicker, with a dragon heartstring core. Layla once again waved it, this time a bit more forcefully, but still, nothing happened.   
They went through two more wands, each unique, before Layla asked a question. 

“Mr. Ollivander, what do the cores in the wands mean? I hear you talking about them a lot.”   
He looked up from his rummaging about his store, and his eyes blinked in owlish surprise. 

“Well, my dear, they are the source in which we are able to channel our magic. Wandmakers all around the world use different things from different magical creatures. Magical creatures are innately magical, so a remnant from them can be used to charge and redirect magical energy. I use unicorn hair, phoenix tail feathers, dragon heartstrings and once, a thestral tail hair…” at this, Ollivander trailed off, but quickly picked up, “but my father used Kneazle fur, and other places around the world use creatures local to them, like a wandmaker I know in America uses Wampus fur… different cores channel magic differently. Not necessarily better or worse, simply, differently. That’s precisely why the wand chooses the wizard; the cores choose who is best suited to them.” Ollivander said this all very quickly and while making Layla try two more wands. Layla’s eyebrows shot up in surprise; she didn’t know there was so much to it. 

“Ah, I’ve got it now! I know just what you need.” Ollivander said before dashing into the back of his shop once again. Layla turned to her parents and pouted. 

“This is taking so much longer than Teddy’s did,” She said, frustrated. Her dad simply smiled encouragingly. 

“Take your time, honey. You’ve gotta find the perfect fit!” He said jovially, while her mom agreed. The coat of sadness still hung around everyone’s shoulders, but genuine happiness for Layla had dissipated it, for now.

“Here it is!” Ollivander shouted in glee. He roughly shoved the wand into her hand and motioned for her to wave it. It was a nice wand; about 13 inches long, dark, gnarled wood, twisted but smooth.   
Layla took a deep breath, then gave her wand a wave. She felt power flooding her body before pouring into her fingertips, and somehow, she could feel it charging through her wand. Soon, the room was alit with yellow, glowing butterflies and she vaguely heard her parents gasp behind her. She stunned herself; she had never felt anything like the warmth that had washed over her. 

Too soon, it was interrupted by the dinging of the door bell, meaning that another person had come in for a wand. All too soon, Ollivander had checked her out, and after handing over Seventeen Silver Sickles, she marched out of the shop with her wand and a delighted set of parents. Her mom was teary and wouldn’t stop talking about how beautiful her magic was, which filled Layla with a positivity she wasn’t accustomed to. 

/

The next exciting thing of the day happened in the bookstore. As she was perusing the store, going up and down each unique aisle, she was reading the first chapter of each of two books she had picked out – she was in-between a book about talking cats and a book about hobbits- deciding which one to actually purchase, she bumped into someone, though they looked like a walking pile of books rather than an actual person.   
Layla bumped roughly into the person and a small scream was heard along with a crash, and books were scattered everywhere. She quickly rushed to help the person up.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and I didn’t even see you, my face was in a book-” Layla started, offering a hand to the stranger. The stranger had black hair and brown skin, and her glasses we completely askew. She took Layla’s hand and got up, slightly dazed. 

“No, it was probably my fault. I couldn’t even see over my tower of books, sorry…” She trailed off, bending down to pick up her books. Layla helped her, and soon, they each had half the stack in their arms. “You don’t need to help me, really.” The girl said, almost embarrassed.

“No no, I’m helping. I’m the one that scattered them everywhere, anyway,” Layla said, “I noticed you have Hogwarts: A History. Are you a first year, too?” Layla asked as they made their way to the front counter. The girl nodded. 

“Yeah, I am! I’m the second generation of my family to go to Hogwarts, after my parents. My name’s Rowan Khanna.” She said, smiling at Layla. 

“I’m Layla Mourelle. I come from a Muggle family.” Layla said, smiling back. Rowan grinned. 

“That name sounds familiar, but I can’t remember why. I don’t think I should know you… anyway, my family owns a tree farm, and we’re pretty remote, so I don’t know why I would.” Rowan said, heaving her books up onto the counter. Layla set the other half of the pile on the counter and took her book off of the top of the stack. Eventually, she had decided on the book about talking cats. 

“Hmm, I’m not sure. But anyway, do you know what house you’ll be in?” Layla asked, changing the subject before she started to get uncomfortable. Rowan shook her head.

“No, I kind of suspect Ravenclaw, but, I guess you don’t really know until you get there, do you?” Rowan said, and Layla agreed with her. Soon, Rowan had paid for her books, Layla paid for hers, then helped carry Rowan’s out of the book shop. 

“Oh, Rowan, here, give me these,” A man came around the corner, immediately taking the books out of his daughter’s arms. A woman followed behind him and thanked Layla, then took the other half of Rowan’s books as well. Layla reached up and snagged the Paladin Cats book on top before she forgot; she’d like to read this one when she got home.

“Thank you for helping our daughter!” The woman thanked Layla quickly, nodding her head at her. Layla’s own parents then walked up to the group and greeted the parents. After a round of introductions, it was time to split ways. 

“See you at school?” Layla asked tentatively. Rowan grinned.

“Definitely. Hope we’re in the same house! I’ll be seeing you.” She said as she was ushered away by her parents, who still had their arms full of her books.

/

The rest of the day had gone by rather uneventfully after finding a wand and meeting Rowan; they had picked her up a brand new pewter cauldron, a new set of quills, a few rolls of parchment and had Teddy’s old robes re-fitted for Layla.

“Before we go, why don’t we have some ice cream?” Layla’s father suggested, cocking his head towards the ice cream shop.

“Are you sure? We’ve already gotten a lot today…” Layla trailed off, looking slightly guilty. She knew that her parents didn’t have a lot of money at the moment. Her dad waved her worries away with his hand and they all made their way over. Layla and her mother snagged a seat at a table outside the store, and after telling him what they wanted, he made his way inside to order. 

“Honey, I’ll be right back – I just have got to find a bathroom. Tell your father where I’ve gone if he comes back before I do, okay?” Her mom said suddenly. Layla just nodded, and pulled out her wand again to inspect it. A few minutes later, her dad came out of the store, with a cone of mint chocolate chip and chocolate in one hand, and two cups of sundaes in the other. He sat down and handed Layla her ice cream cone and set the sundaes on the table.

“Where did mum go?” He asked while taking his spoon and digging into his sundae. 

“She went to find a bathroom – she should be back soon, I’m pretty sure there were some in Madame Malkins.” Layla explained before licking her ice cream. She didn’t feel chilled, however; that was the magic of Pepper Potts’ ice cream: different flavors made you feel different things, but they never made you feel cold. The mint was refreshing and the chocolate was warming. 

“Ah. I say, I’ll never get tired of this ice cream. Or magic, really.” Her father said offhandedly. Layla smiled.

“Okay, I’m back!” Lucy called, before sitting down at the table, and setting something heavy on the ground next to her. 

“Oh, good!” Benjamin exclaimed cheerily. Layla looked between her parents, then looked at the cage near her mom in confusion.

“Uh, what is that?” She asked. Her mom grinned at her and took off the blanket to reveal-

A beautiful white and brown barn owl. Layla’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Her dad guffawed at her reaction, and her mom beamed at her. Layla was so taken aback that she couldn’t form a sentence.

“The-what?” She asked dumbly. 

“It’s for you, babygirl. Teddy never had a pet, and well… we wanted you to have a way to contact us. Plus, they’re very good creatures. Very good for emotional support.” Her mom explained. Layla blinked, then looked at her mom. 

“I… thanks. I’ve always wanted an owl, ever since I found out you could have them at Hogwarts.” Layla said, purely in awe at the creature before her.

“Yes, well, there will be plenty of time to spend with your owl when we get home. For now, focus on that ice cream and make sure it doesn’t melt, hmm?” Her father asked, and she did as instructed, focusing on the feeling that the ice cream gave her.

Nothing could ever compare to the fuzzy, contented feeling she found in her chest after today, however.

/

The weeks flew by and sooner than her parents knew, Layla was off to Hogwarts. 

“Okay, you’ve got all of your things packed? Celeste is in her cage alright?” Lucy fretted, flitting about the living room, circling Layla and giving her a once-over. Layla laughed lightly and shook her head.

“Mom, mom, I’m fine, really- I packed like, two days ago.” Layla said in an attempt to assuage her mom’s worry. Benjamin then ambled down the stairs and greeted his family merrily. 

“Alright gang, we all good to go?” He asked happily. Lucy fixed a strand of Layla’s hair then drew her hands back to her side and picked up Layla’s luggage, which Benjamin quickly took from her.

The Mourelles made their way outside, and after locking the door behind her, Lucy unlocked the car and they got in. After situating Celeste in the backseat and miraculously fitting Layla’s luggage in the trunk, Benjamin clambered into the front seat, and they made the long drive to King’s Cross.  
Thoughts were racing through Layla’s mind. A cacophonous swirl arose in her mind, filled with doubts and insecurities. She couldn’t stop thinking about her brother and the Cursed Vaults; were they really at Hogwarts? Would she follow the same path as her brother? Would everyone know her because for her brother’s actions? What house would she be in? Would Muggle-borns even be accepted by the other students at Hogwarts?

“Layla,” her father’s voice dragged Layla back to reality, “look, we all feel Teddy’s absence today… which is why we want you to be extra careful at Hogwarts, okay? Have a good time and enjoy your studies, but please be careful. We can’t lose you too.”

Layla’s heart felt heavy at her father’s words, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. 

“Yeah, of course, dad. Yeah.” Layla said before staring out of the car window, watching the fields and trees pass by in a blur.

/

“Okay, okay, here we are! Everyone, run!” Lucy Mourelle shouted joyfully before pushing her daughter and husband through the wall.  
Suddenly, they were on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. A sign glowed a brilliant gold and read “The Hogwarts Express, 11:00 am” on the platform, and Layla was amazed.  
Every time she went to the platform, it was always a magical experience. Every time she had come with Teddy, he would laugh at her expression, and comfort her when she cried when he was leaving, and told her that one day, she would be going to Hogwarts, too. Layla shook her head and focused on the pure magic of the platform; everyone was happy and there wasn’t an ounce of sadness in the air. The atmosphere lifted Layla’s spirits and she smiled contentedly. 

“Well, let’s get you on, I suppose.” Benjamin said after a moment, clapping a hand onto Layla’s shoulder. She nodded her head and picked up Celeste in her cage, who squawked lightly, and started walking towards the train, her dad rolling her luggage behind him. They crossed the platform in no time. 

“Please, have a good time, and take care of yourself, sweetie.” Her mother said, teary-eyed. She had to shout lightly to be heard over the rest of the crowd. Lucy suddenly surged forward and hugged her daughter tightly, and Layla squeezed back. 

“I’ll miss you guys. I’ll write often, thanks to Celeste. Are you sure you’ll be okay? You both will take care of yourselves, right?” She asked skeptically, before pulling her dad into the hug. He chuckled, sadness lacing his laughter, and hugged back. 

“Yes yes, we’ll take care of each other,” he responded, to which she saw her mom nod, “Go now, get on the train, dear. You’ve only got five minutes left.” Her dad murmured, standing back in the cramped space, and pulling his wife into his arms. She nodded, and picked up Celeste, then tramped up the stairs and boarded the train. She turned around and grabbed her luggage from her dad as he handed it to her, and she thanked him. With a final goodbye, she turned and walked down the aisle, shuffling in between other students that stood around talking, until she came to an empty compartment towards the middle of the Express. She opened and closed the door silently, then turned and sat Celeste on the seat next to her and struggled to put her luggage in the overhead compartment. She plopped into the bench and sighed, letting her head fall back against it. She exhaled and closed her eyes. She was starting to form a headache from all of the worry and fear clouding her mind. 

With another sigh, her hazel eyes cracked open, and her head turned to look at her owl; Celeste was preening her feathers, but screeched softly and nipped at the bars of her cage as a comforting gesture. A smile graced Layla’s face. 

“Thanks, lovey. You’re gonna be my lifeline this semester…” Layla said lovingly, stroking the owl’s head through the bars on the cage. Suddenly, the train jolted to life, and Layla looked out of the window, trying to find her parents, but the platform was passing by too fast already.   
A few seconds later, Layla’s head whipped around at the sound of the sliding door. 

“Hey, sorry, I- oh, Layla! It’s you!” The person who entered the carriage was Rowan Khanna, the girl that Layla had met at the book store in Diagon Alley. Layla smiled at her. 

“Hey, Rowan! Take a seat.” Layla offered, motioning to the seat across from her. Rowan nodded and sat. Layla noticed that she was already in her robes; should she be in them, too? She was just in a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt. 

“So, how was your summer?” Rowan asked suddenly, as if to clear the air from its awkward tension. Layla just shrugged. 

“It was alright. I was too excited to come here, so that’s all I thought about, really. Couldn’t enjoy myself too much.” She responded, looking once again at Rowan’s robes. 

“Hmm, same here. I told you my family owns a tree farm, so I mainly worked on that all summer. Goodness my parents were sad when I had to leave; one less pair of hands to help out.” Rowan said good-naturedly. Layla giggled.

“So, Rowan – should I change into my robes too…?” Layla trailed off, feeling quite foolish for asking. 

“You’re probably fine right now – I came from the farm straight here, so I just had a set on, because I wasn’t dealing with Muggles. You’ll want to put them on when we get closer to the castle, however.” Rowan said. Layla felt some of her nervousness slide off of her.

The girls continued in this fashion, making small conversation about what they thought Hogwarts might be like, what they hoped to accomplish there, and what they were most excited to learn. Eventually the conversation delved into a discussion about the Muggle world and the Magic world. Layla wasn’t totally clueless; she had read about magic and had seen some magic candy and toys from her brother, but she still had a lot to learn. 

“I personally think it’d be cool to see the Muggle world intertwine with the Magic world. The Muggle world has a lot to offer too!” Layla said excitedly; she then went on to explain things like electricity, television and the internet to Rowan, who in turned, explained different spells and the intricacies of magic.

Time passed by quickly in this fashion; the girls talked for a long while, and eventually, each pulled out their individual books and spent the last long two hours reading.   
After reading a good chunk of her book, the train slowed to the stop, and Layla, so caught up in her book, had forgotten to put her robes on. As she felt the motion of the train slow, she perked her head out of her book in alarm and looked out of the window; she had no idea where she was, which meant that they were probably there. She rocketed out her seat.

“Oh, no! Rowan, I’ve got to put my robes on – would you mind staying with Celeste? I’ll only be a few minutes-“ Layla started, getting her luggage down and ripping through it for her robes. She then launched across their compartment and left without giving Rowan time to answer. The girl sighed and looked at the owl across from her, giving it a small smile.   
On the other side of the compartment, Layla was pushing past people with shouts of “pardon me!” and ‘I’m sorry!’ and rushing towards the back of the train to change into the robe around her arm. The hall was so congested towards the back – she suspected from people already standing to try and get off – that she had to force herself through to the bathrooms. 

“Excuse me-” she said again, trying to push past another girl.

“Ugh, what are you doing?” A familiar voice asked in disgust, pushing the girl back. Layla looked at her, and realized that it was the girl from the wandshop. 

“Sorry, I just need to get through to change-” Layla started, but was cut off-

“Oh, a Muggle-born, are you? Well go on then, change into our clothes, the clothes of rightful pureblood wizards, to disguise your mudblood and act like you belong here. I’ll let you get to it. See you in school!” The girl sneered before turning around and promptly shoving people out of the way to get to the front of the train. Layla felt like a bucket of ice cold water was dumped over her; she didn’t know what to feel. She was a mix of anger and fear and sadness, but her trance was broken by someone being shoved into her, and she quickly claimed a bathroom and changed into her robe and school uniform. She felt the train lurch, meaning that it was totally stopped, and shot out of the bathroom, racing back to her compartment. 

Rowan was standing up, pulling her luggage from the overhead compartments, when Layla raced inside and slammed the door, breathing heavily. She stuffed her Muggle clothes into her luggage quickly. Rowan raised her eyebrows, and before she could get a word out, Layla said, 

“It’s a madhouse out there. Everyone’s standing in the corridor and I just met one of the meanest girls on the planet.” Layla explained, before catching her breath and making her way over to the overhead compartment and helping Rowan pull her luggage down. 

“Well, should we wait or should we join the crowd?” Rowan asked. At that moment, their door rattled, the effect of someone being pushed into it. They looked at each other.

“We’re going to wait.” Layla said, sitting back down. Her knee was bouncing up and down, a nervous habit. She was chewing on her lip and had her focus trained outside; she just wanted to get out of here and get into the castle. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Rowan asked, concern dripping into her voice. 

“Yeah, I’m just anxious. I just want to get settled. There’s a lot I want to learn and do, and this train is just… so packed.” Layla said, sighing again. She looked at Celeste, who cooed at her to ease her worries. She smiled softly and stroked her back feathers. 

“Yeah, I’m nervous, too. I’ve never really been well-liked or had many friends, but I’m hoping that’ll change in Hogwarts.” Rowan said, twiddling her fingers to ease her own nerves. 

“Well, you’ve already got me before we’ve even gone into the castle, so you’re off to a good start.” Layla said, grinning. Rowan smiled back.  
Suddenly, there was a knocking on the door. 

“Everyone off! Anyone in there? Get in line!” A rough voice said, and they immediately hopped off of the bench, and shuffled outside. The line in the corridor to get off was moving quickly, and soon, they were in the grass outside of the castle against the inky blackness of the night sky. 

“Firs’ years, o’er here! Firs’ years, this way!” A deep voice bellowed. Rowan and Layla looked at each other and rushed down the hill towards the source of the voice, Layla hugging Celeste’s cage tight with one arm and pulling her luggage behind her with the other. They soon came to a group of other students, and a tall man that towered over everyone else. He had a shaggy beard that covered most of his fact, and wild hair. 

“Alrigh’ e’ryone, pu’ yer things over here- yep, jus’ set ‘em down- pets too- they’ll make it up ter th’ castle alrigh’- now! Firs’ years, get in the boats! Four to a boat!” The giant rumbled.  
Rowan and Layla put their luggage in the pile, and Layla carefully set Celeste down with a promise that she’ll get her soon- and lumbered into a boat. 

“Four to a boat, so, I guess we can take this one and wait for whoever else to join…” Rowan mumbled. Layla nodded, but was far too busy trying to see anything around her. It was so dark out that she couldn’t see hardly anything; she could barely see the outlines of the trees, or the water around her. The only thing she could see were the lights of the castle. It was more beautiful than she ever would have imagined.   
The boat shook and suddenly two bodies were sitting next to them. As soon as they sat, the boat started rowing itself to the other side.

“Oh, really Ben, it’s alright – we’ll be to the other side before you know it.” A voice said soothingly. The boy nodded nervously and stared at his feet. “Hi, sorry, hope you don’t mind that we ride with you – we’ve only just gotten off the train.” The girl said. Rowan shrugged.

“No, you’re okay. Four to a boat, anyway. My name’s Rowan Khanna.” Rowan said. 

“Penny. Penny Haywood. And this scaredy cat is Ben Copper.” She said kindly, pushing him teasingly. He looked up at her nervously, but gave Rowan and Layla a small smile.

“I’m Layla.” Layla said nervously; would they know her last name?

“Just Layla?” Penny asked, an eyebrow up.

“Uh… Mourelle.” Layla said lowly, avoiding eye contact. Ben Copper’s eyebrows shot up.

“Like, Cursed Vaults Mourelle?” he asked, astonished. Penny glared at him, and he yelped.

“Uh… yeah. My brother.” She clarified, feeling intensely awkward. Before anyone could say anything else, the boat suddenly rocked, and they were on shore.

“Well, here we are. Come on.” Rowan said, getting out. She shakily got onto shore, and helped Layla out, then they both helped Penny and Ben out. 

“Thanks.” Penny said brightly. “And, by the way, don’t worry about that. The Cursed Vaults thing. You aren’t your brother, you know.” She added. From the illumination of the castle, Layla could see that Penny had a kind smile on her face. She had pretty blonde hair which was braided at the side and down the back. Layla’s hazel eyes flicked to Ben and saw that he had strawberry blonde hair and freckles all over his face. 

“Thanks. I’ve been worrying about that.” Layla said.

“Firs’ years, follow me now! Inter the castle!” the voice boomed. The four of them scrambled up to follow everyone else up to the castle.  
After a few minutes of stomping up through the grass and dirt, they made it to the foyer of the castle.

“Thank you, Hagrid.” A crisp, cool voice called. 

“No pro’lem, Professor.” Hagrid replied, nodding. He nodded at the students and walked away, into the castle.

“Follow me, students.” The professor said. She had black hair in a bun, covered by a black witch’s hat. She was wearing long, emerald green robes and had a pair of round glasses on her face. She turned suddenly, and the students scrambled after her. They wound around the castle, up a stairway and through a hallway, and suddenly, they were being walked past a giant room, where the rest of the students resided. 

“In here please, first years.” The Professor said, and she led them into an empty corridor. 

“Welcome to your first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My name is Professor McGonagall and I’m going to brief you on how your first night at Hogwarts is going to happen. Before you can join the other students in the Great Hall for the feast, you must first be sorted into your respective houses. You will be sorted, then you’ll join the feast, then you will be introduced to your common room. You’ll find that all of your belongings will already be in your dormitories.   
Now, during your time at Hogwarts, your houses will be like your families. There is Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. This is the most important part of the opening ceremony. Now, I will escort you to the Great Hall, where the Sorting will begin.”

Professor McGonagall turned suddenly and briskly walked out of the classroom and the students followed her quickly. She stopped at the entrance to the room where everyone else was waiting and turned to make sure everyone was behind her. After a nod of her head, she walked into the room and everyone strode in after her.  
Layla really wished that they weren’t being sorted in front of everyone else. Where would she go? She had read about the houses, and probably fancied herself to be a Gryffindor, as they sounded like the noblest of the houses, but it was a toss up, really. She also hoped that everyone in her house would be kind to her even with her brother’s reputation hanging over her head…

Before she could think anymore, the line of students was stopped. She stumbled into Rowan, who was silent in front of her, and said girl turned around and shot her a questioning look. Layla put her hands up as a sign of apology, and Rowan turned back around.   
Layla peaked around the other students and saw that Professor McGonagall was setting an old, ripped witch’s hat on a rickety stool, and she gulped. She knew of the Sorting Hat because of Teddy, of course, but fear still coursed through her.

“Before we begin, I have a message for all of you at Hogwarts,” the hat began, to many first years’ surprise,

“Though we be small and unlearned,  
Never count us out,  
Hogwarts will always prove you wrong,  
With a fearsome and mighty shout,  
We'll always win the war!  
Though each house is in competition,  
We shall never really part,  
We must unite,   
To stop an evil heart.  
Whether you be in Gryffindor,  
Who values integrity and courage,  
Or in lovely Ravenclaw,  
Who’s wit knows no bounds,  
Perhaps you’ll be home in Hufflepuff,  
Who knows only compassion and loyalty,  
Or last you’ll be in Slytherin,  
Who are ambitious to no end,  
Heed my warning Hogwart’s students:  
You must come together,  
And this castle you will defend.”

With the last screechy tone sung, the hat then suddenly went quiet and still. All of the students in The Great Hall looked at each other ominously; why did that song sound like a warning instead of an explanation of the houses like usual?  
“Now, we shall commence. First: Arestellos, Brandon.”  
A tall boy with silver-gray hair walked up cautiously and sat quickly on the stool, and McGonagall put the hat on his head.

“Hmm… ambitious. Very ambitious, you want to do a lot of great things… perhaps Slytherin? Mmmm. Not quite. You’re ambitious, but you’ll only accomplish your means with integrity… But there’s so much compassion too, oh, and you’re so loyal… you’re also quick… so many traits… hmm… but your bravery… better be…. GRYFFINDOR!” The hat finally yelled, and the Gryffindor table erupted in applause. Brandon got off of the stool shakily and stumbled towards the Gryffindor table.

“Bandoron, Lindsay.” McGonagall called again. A girl with long, light brown hair and blue eyes walked confidently up to the stool and took her seat with elegance. She wore an excited grin and eagerly bounced as the hat was placed on her head.

“Hmm… you have great determination and ambition… yes, you want to achieve your goals more than anything… I’d say SLYTHERIN!” The hat announced after less than ten seconds. McGonagall swept the hat off of Lindsay’s head, and she marched over to the Slytherin table exuding confidence. She was also met with shouts of applause, and beamed as she sat next to a girl with curly blonde hair.

The Sorting happened in this fashion for some time. Ben Copper took over a whole minute to get sorted, until finally he was announced to be in Gryffindor, which he tried to explain to McGonagall was a mistake, until she told him to go sit at the Gryffindor table in a very severe voice. 

Rowan was sorted into Hufflepuff, though the hat seemed to be going back and forth quite a bit between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Her sorting took about a minute, right up there with Ben’s.

Penny was sorted into Hufflepuff as well, the hat declaring that her kindness and caring for others outweighed her other traits, which included deep-seated courage. Layla could see it; Penny seemed to have a natural inclination to help others.

All too soon, it was Layla’s turn.

“Mourelle, Layla.” McGonagall’s strong voice called, ringing across a hushed hall.  
All eyes were on her as she stepped up to the stool and she could even hear some people whispering. She bit her lip as the professor delicately placed the hat on her head. 

“Oh, yes, another Mourelle. Will you be in the same house as your brother…? I think so, I do. But, you have such a determination to prove yourself, and such a strong will to do good… But you’re brave enough to do it without hurting anyone else… but in your heart, you really only want to help those around you… yes, you have a lot of love for a lot of things… but you learn quickly too, and you’re a clever girl, I can tell… still, however, you’re loyal to no end, and you’d sooner choose your friends over morals, am I right? Hmm… in that case, I declare… HUFFLEPUFF!” The hat yelled after over about thirty seconds of deliberation. If people were cheering, Layla couldn’t hear them; she could only hear the ringing in her ears and the shock coursing through her veins.

The Sorting went on, and the only time Layla was pulled from her shock when another Hufflepuff was announced; “Pascel, Taylor!” was placed into Hufflepuff shortly after she sat on the stool, for her want to help others and her ability to keep compassion for others, even in the darkest of times.

Layla was very absent-minded the rest of the night, though she did get some congratulations when she made her way over to the Hufflepuff table, and she noticed that some people didn’t acknowledge her at all.  
All she knew was that it was over, but she was with Rowan and Penny, and she found herself okay with that. 

/

“Alright, my name is Jane Haybacher and I am your prefect. Welcome to Hufflepuff! I’ll be taking you all to your dormitories. Our common room is down on the lower floor near the kitchens. It’s cozy and comfortable and it will be your home here! Now, follow me.” Jane said, turning on her heel and marching out of the common room.   
“Now, I am a prefect, which means that I can patrol the castle, deduct points from other students and serve punishments. Fifth years and up can be prefects, and there are two prefects per year per house. Be the best prefect you can be, and you could end up becoming a Head Boy or Head Girl!” Jane continued explaining as they walked down the stairs. Layla was trying to wrap her mind around all of this; her brother had tried to explain this to her, but she was too young to fully comprehend it all. 

“And here we are!” Jane said cheerfully, stopping upon a mound of barrels. The first years looked around confusedly while a boy stepped forth and knocked on the second barrel from the bottom.   
“Thanks, Thomas! Thomas here is my counterpart. There are other prefects, too- a male and female from sixth and seventh years as well. Six per house, twenty-four in the school.” Jane explained before turning to the brunette boy. He was tall and had freckles adorning his entire face, topped with a mop of messy brown hair. 

“No problem. Don’t forget, guys, you have to tap out the rhythm to ‘The Ballad of Helga Hufflepuff’, so it’s best to memorize it as soon as possible. It’s not a long song, but it’s easy to mess up.” Thomas replied before finishing his rhythm. He the stood back next to Jane and they all watched as the barrel merged itself into the one to the left and a doorway was revealed. 

“Come on, guys!” Jane said happily, leading the way. The doorway led into an earthy tunnel, and after walking through (Thomas had to crouch a bit), they were led into a room with soft yellow walls. The room was alit with a soft glow from the candles on the wall, and plants were hanging from the ceiling and lined the walls on shelves. On the wall to the right, a fireplace was lit and crackling softly, the shadows dancing along the walls. Tan couches were surrounding the fireplace, looking worn and inviting. Desks were pushed against the other walls with homework strewn about them and armchairs were pulled up close to them.  
Layla blinked and her chest exploded with fire. A grin slowly made its way onto her face. This common room was so incredibly cozy and quaint and it felt like home already. She felt Rowan nudge her and she looked over. Rowan was smiling at her, excitement shining in her dark eyes.

“Hello, first years, and those of you who joined us last year, welcome back!” A high-pitched voice sounded. Heads turned towards the source of the voice; it was a tall, lanky girl with dark skin and deep brown eyes. She had chin-length black hair that was in natural, tight curls and bounced with the energy she exuded. 

“Ah, Genevieve!” Thomas greeted cordially, shaking hands with the woman. She smiled kindly at him.

“Hullo, Thomas. I hope you’re doing well?” She asked, still smiling. He nodded lightly. 

“I’m glad you’re here, Gen! I figured before we split everyone off for bed, we could introduce them to all the prefects, that way they know who to turn to." Gen turned her attention towards Jane. 

“Great idea, Jane. All students aside from first years, you’re dismissed.” Gen said, waving her hand nonchalantly. Most of the students dispersed, wishing the prefects goodnight and talking amongst themselves. 

“Now, let me introduce myself! I’m Genevieve, your seventh year perfect. Toby, the other seventh year prefect, is currently going over the new fifth year prefect’s duties with them along with the Head Boy and Girl. As you know, this is Jane, a sixth year prefect, and Thomas, her other half. The fifth year prefects this year are Sallius – he’s got long red hair, hard to miss- and Lulliana, a short girl with black hair. Now, the prefects all have to get going to patrol, so we’ll do more personal and friendly introductions after classes tomorrow. I’ll see you all at breakfast and I expect you all to be up bright and early tomorrow! Thomas, Jane, join me as soon as you escort these kids to their dorms.” Genevieve said in a singsong voice before bidding everyone a goodnight and walking through the tunnel to go join Toby.

“Alright then! This is where we split. Girls, follow me, your dormitories are to the right, and guys, you are to the left.” Jane said before nodding at the class and then whisking the girls away to their dormitories, Thomas doing the same with the boys.  
Layla walked into her dormitory and stopped, totally in awe. 

“I can’t believe we’re all in the same dorm!” Penny said happily, bounding into the dorm after Layla, gently moving her out of the way. Rowan shuffled in behind her and cast Layla a soft smile before looking at their beds.

“Oh wow, our luggage is already here!” Rowan said, surprised.

“This is so cool.” Taylor murmured, looking around in awe, much like Layla. 

“Come on, guys! Which bed do you want? Taylor, you can go first.” Penny said kindly, looking toward the pink-haired girl with a smile. Taylor’s attention snapped to Penny and she quickly returned the smile.

“Um… it doesn’t really matter to me, but thanks. I’m just a little overwhelmed, I’m Muggle-born, so…” Taylor said nervously, glancing around.

“Hey, that's okay! So is Layla- I’m from a wizarding family, but we own a tree farm, so I’m the second one in my family to go to Hogwarts ever.” Rowan grinned, trying to make the tall girl feel better.

“Yeah, I’m from a Muggle family, too. My brother was a wizard, so I know a little bit about magic, but this is all pretty much new to me, too.” Layla said, snapped out of her trance. She also smiled at Taylor before cocking her head towards the beds. Taylor smiled back and walked further in the room.

“Hmm… I’ll take the one on the end to the right.” Taylor responded, going over to the middle of the room and grabbing her luggage before dragging it to her bed.

“Great! Layla, you’re next.” Penny said, looking at her.

“Hmm… I’ll just take the one on the left, next to the window. Celeste is already there, anyway.” Layla said before grabbing her luggage and walking over to the bed. She stopped at Celeste’s cage and opened it. Celeste walked out hesitantly and nipped Layla’s hand affectionately, then rubbing her head against Layla’s other hand. Layla smiled and pet Celeste’s wings. 

“Oh, she’s so pretty!” Taylor said suddenly, completely enamored with the bird. Layla beckoned the other girls over.

“She’s really kind and loves people! Just hold out a hand and let her get used to you.” Layla said. Taylor rose from her bed and walked over, hesitantly reaching a hand out. Penny and Rowan did the same. Celeste cooed gently and leant her head down to each of their hands, before rubbing her beak against Taylor’s. Taylor let out a soft gasp and a grin broke out on her pale face. 

“Oh, oh goodness.” She said softly, her green eyes growing wider.

“She’s so majestic! Oh, I do hope she gets along with Hopper… He’s still sleeping in his cage…” Taylor said, chewing her lip in worry.

“Don’t worry! Layla has to take her to the Owlery tomorrow, unfortunately- that’s where all the owls stay. They’re well taken care of and you can visit them any time, but that’s where the owls have to live.” Penny said. Relief appeared on Taylor’s face.

“Oh, really? That’s a shame.” Rowan said, and Layla agreed. Celeste whistled sadly. 

“It’s okay, I’ll visit you every day, and you can fly over during the day when I have free time. Now I kind of wish we were in the towers… we’ll figure something out, girl.” Layla said comfortingly, scratching her wings. 

“Well, we better get to bed. I’ll keep Hopper in his cage for the night… he likes to laze around a bit, anyway.” Taylor said. They all agreed and Layla put Celeste back in her cage. They all took turns to use the bathroom to get ready for bed, and with that, their last day at Hogwarts was over.

/

Layla wouldn’t say that her first week at Hogwarts went well. While she had learned a lot about the school and its inner workings, she had also learned that a lot of people have learned about her.   
Throughout her first week, she had been reading all she could about magic and how it works, finding all of the moving staircases on accident, keeping up with all of her studies, and getting closer to her dormmates. 

She had also overheard too many students talking about her and her last name, and had even had unfortunate encounters with some of the Slytherins, including Merula.  
So far, Hogwarts seemed a lot like a regular school, just with magic involved. Overall, however, Layla would say that she was very happy with her schooling. Her friends always had her back and her house was starting to warm up to her. 

“Yeah, I liked Charms a lot, but it seems a lot more versatile than-” Taylor was talking to her friends. Penny, Rowan and Layla walked beside her, walking down the hallway towards the Library. They were on their way to get in some homework before their next class in an hour. Taylor’s sentence was interrupted by a force slamming into her shoulder.

“Watch it, Mudblood!” A cold voice snapped. Taylor looked up and glared at the forest green eyes staring down at her. It was Merula Snyde.

“Hey, you bumped into her!” Layla shouted suddenly. Merula’s glare shifted over to Layla and she looked her up and down. 

“I wasn’t talking to you, Mourelle.” Merula hissed, her voice dangerously low. Layla tried not to shrink under her piercing stare. 

“Come on, guys. Let’s just go.” Taylor spoke up, wanting to diffuse the tension. She lightly grabbed Penny’s arm and tugged her gently, turning away from Merula. Penny agreed and grabbed both Layla and Rowan to drag them away. 

“Yeah, go on and run with the tail between your legs like the Hufflepuffs you are. You’ll get what’s coming to you.” Merula said poisonously before turning up her nose and leaving. The group was quiet for a moment.

“Well, that sucked.” Penny said, sighing. Everyone agreed with her.

“I wish I would have said something, but I was so scared I felt like I couldn’t move…” Rowan said, looking ashamed of herself. Layla rubbed her arm lightly.

“No, Rowan, don’t feel bad… It’s probably better that we didn’t engage.” Penny said sensibly. Rowan nodded her head.

“Yeah… I wanted to do something else, but it is our first week after all.” Layla said. 

“Exactly, and it really wasn’t that big of a deal. I figured that something like this would happen sooner or later, what with the current mood of the wizarding world right now… it didn’t really phase me.” Taylor said calmly. 

“Really?” Rowan asked. Taylor nodded. 

“I try not to let things get to me too much. I only really get mad when my friends are involved.” Taylor responded. 

“That’s just the Hufflepuff way, ain’t it?” Penny sang, giving Rowan a hug around the shoulders. Rowan smiled and hugged her back.

“You guys alright?” A squeaky voice asked. Four sets of eyes looked over to Ben Copper approaching them, towing a silver-haired boy behind him. Penny grinned. 

“Oh hi, Ben! I haven’t seen much of you, lately! We’ve got to hang out more.” Penny said kindly. The rest of them waved.

“I know… I wish I was in your house… I still think being in Gryffindor was a mistake.” Ben said, his feet tracing shapes in the ground, head lowered. The boy behind him clapped him on the shoulder.

“Shut up, Ben. You’re stuck in this house, so get used to it.” The boy said, looking at his friend. Ben Copper glanced up at him and his hands trembled. 

“Hi, I’m Penny Haywood!” The blonde girl said, holding out her hand. The silver-haired boy looked at it skeptically before looking at Penny’s face, reaching out to grab her hand lightly and shaking it. 

“Brandon Arestellos.” He said simply, before looking at the other three.   
Brandon had slightly tanned skin with silver hair that was shorter on the sides and longer on the top of his head. He had dark brown eyes and seemed to always remain neutral.

“Oh, s-sorry for not introducing you all! Uh, this is my friend from Gryffindor!” Ben said suddenly, blushing slightly. He stood up straight and looked at the girls. Penny nodded and giggled. 

“I’m Rowan, Rowan Khanna!” the girl said happily, also shaking Brandon’s hand. He nodded. 

“I’m Taylor Pescal- We sit together in Charms. Nice to see you again.” She said politely, noting his colored hair that was similar to her own. He smiled lightly at her. 

“Uh, I’m Layla Mourelle. Nice to meet you, I hope we see more of both of you around.” Layla said, shaking Brandon’s hand as his eyebrows rose.

“Mourelle? Like Teddy Mourelle?” He asked, intrigued. Ben let out a squeak beside him and he turned to his friend and rose an eyebrow. “What? I’m just curious.” He said to Ben. Layla felt intensely awkward. 

“Yeah, he’s my brother.” She said nervously. She hated introducing herself to people; she hated that she already had a reputation and couldn’t build her own. She could never guess how people would judge her, either. 

“Oh, cool. Well I’m sure we’ll all be friends. Unfortunately, Ben and I have to get to flying practice now with the Ravenclaws, so we’ll be off.” Brandon said, smiling at all of them and nudging Ben lightly. 

“Oh, yeah! We’re going to be late! Well I’ll see you guys later- we should meet up in the courtyard this weekend to hang out. See you later!” Ben said, smiling at them and waving while scurrying away with Brandon, who strode coolly next to him.

“Hmm, that was weird.” Rowan said, frowning lightly.

“Oh, he’s actually pretty nice. He just has to warm up to you. He’s pretty withdrawn and skeptical.” Taylor said, shrugging.

“Yeah, and Ben’s got a heart of gold once you get close to him! You just have to get past all of the stuttering and shaking.” Penny agreed. 

“Well, he didn’t judge me based on my brother, so he’s fine by me.” Layla said. They all agreed and continued to make their way towards the library.

/


End file.
